Hand powered instruments useful for biting tissues, known as rongeurs are common in the field of surgery. While there are many variations designed for use by one hand, the most common by far, would be the Pituitary, Kerrison, and Leksell types.
Prior hand operated rongeurs of the pituitary type have been characterized by a scissors like construction, with thumb and index finger grip holes, or of the Kerrison type using the thenar-palm line and four fingered handle. In these and other available designs, the forefinger is used to actuate the instrument from a position offset from the actuating operating mechanism so that the force required to close and open the instrument also translates in part into an upward displacement of the operating shaft and tip of the instrument. Not infrequently the surgeon finds it necessary to post the tip of the instrument into healthy tissue in order to limit the movement of the tip before biting or cutting the tissue to be removed. This injures healthy tissue. Also, due to the orientation of the hand and fingers, the location of the tip of the instrument is difficult to be mentally perceived, much less controlled, by the surgeon.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved handle for surgical instruments.